Check marking device



July 7, 1931. H. swANsoN CHECK MARKING DEVICE Filed Dec. 13, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

Patented July 7, 1931 i "unirse STATES PATENT o FFICE HJALMAR SWANSO, OF t CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, .ASSIGNOR T CUMMINS PERFORATOR .COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS CHECK MARKINQDEVICE Application filed December 13, 1929. Serial No. 413,817;y

The inventionk relates toy machines for endorsing, signing or otherwise marking checks,A

of checks which atthe present time are signed in batches or lots on account of most banks andbusiness concerns having adopted the practice "of paying payrolls by checks; also on account ofthe development and growth of savings clubs such as Christmas savings clubs, vacation clubs, etc., where a bank pays out a great many items l'for a similar purpose' bycheckat the same time; alsoA onaccount of dividend payments by check, which are very extensive, and for other reasons or causes Where checks are issued in batches or a large number at 'a' time. VIt has been comnion'in the past to employ a check endorsing machine for the purpose of imprinting the bank endorsement on the reverse side of checks which pass through a particular bank or clearing house. In such instances itl is immaterial whetherth'eimp-ression of the die is placed upon the check with particular regard toimiformity, i. e.; whether the'endorsement is substantially at rightl angles to the longitudinal dimension of the checkor other slip. However, since the advent of the pro- 0 cedure of signing the face of checks by mechanicalv means it is necessary Yto insure that the signature "isi 4impressed on the line provided for the same so ras notato-mar 'or otherwise disflgure the completed check. 5 When checks are fed'to a machine successively and in large quantities'it frequently happens that certain of the checks or slips are fed between the printing and impression rollers at an anglethereto or too far toward 9 onelside Ieri-the other;whichheef resulted in by reason of the vast increase in the number.

the signature being impressed more or less indiscriminately. The result is that certain checks are unsightly 'in appearance and their negotiabilitymay be impaired. Other disadvantages obtain which heretofore have not presented themselves when checks are signed by'hand.

A 'principal object of the present invention is to provide a guide device for check endorsing machines which will insure that all checks will be received between the printing and impression rollers uniformly and evenly so that the signature or other indicia will beimpressed upon each check in like manner. n Y

A further object is to provide a guide device of the character described which will prevent the checks from being tilted or canted as they are fed between the rolls and fur-vk ther which will insure each individual check being fed to the machine in the same longi-- tudinal relation with respect to the printed indicia carriedby the type carrying roller.

A further object of the invention is to provide a check guiding device 'which may be readily and conveniently secured to and removed from check endorsing machines of standard make and well known application without adjustment or alteration of other parts ofthe machine and without interfering with other uses for which themachine may be adapted. Y l

A still further object resides in the provision of a check guiding device composed of few parts which may be economicallymanufactured and is capable of continuous usage without deterioration or wear.

A further object of the invention is to provide a line guide device for check endorser machines, when employed for dating checks, receipt stubs orV other papers, adapted to guide the checks inalignment with the marking device. When a check endorsing machine is employed for dating and marking identification indicia on receipt stubs, the guide device of the present invention is of great utility because the stubs are too narrow to: bey guided and fed through the machine properly with the standard feeding arrangerrovided for* the Meer sie@ shale y purposes ofexemplication a preferred"forinl v` and mannerin'V which theinvention v nuaybe but with the guide devicel 'of the ypresent in- Y vention these stubs may be fed properly and in alignment With-marking'device therefor, irrespective of size. v f A further object ofthe present invention is the provision of a check guidegof the above noted type: that is detachable fromY the machine/fand readily and easilyadjustable to 1 diierent sizes ofchecks When either on or off Y1o Y l.

the'inachi-ne.` ff Y In 'the accompanying dravvi-ngs, y `Vforming a part of this specification, and showing for er'nloodiedA and practiced; b-utyvithout limiti ingthey claimedinventionspefjiiically to such illustrativefnstanceorinstancess ,Y i Eigg' 1-v vis al` plan yiewfof 'acheck endorsing machine showings; .pre-erred embodiment of theflcheckfgudngf device positioned there- Y on.;- The ,detaiflslrof themaoljineform no part l V.ing-device ofl the present invention and have beenafillus-f trated' morev l'or'.,lfess diagranmnatie/allyV but with sufficient 1 ol arity to show@ the relationofy the Same to' thegchok gudingfde'vice.

` Figi 2;isa'side'elevationV of thefs'ame.v n

'showing .the :adjustsblev slide -ineinbersY theref of'in' extended position.;v 'i V F'g-4 is a similar View 'showing the :sl-ide members `in their :innermost position.' F'gfjj is a 'reali' endelevation ofthe device.- Fig 6 Ais a side-elevation of .the check yguidlooking from!V the upper` sidel of Fig; 7 isffssimiiaevlisw" looking. fr@ the lowersde-of Figi.;L

a vertical transversesectionk through the cheek guiding 'devloe on11ne-8 +L8 o-fFig. v. A ;V Y leerringgto the drawings,- lindieates'jgene lemily acl-ieckendorsing maehineyvhich j* be .clriv"en by hand, motor or-otherpower; Y In..

Some fc'heckenolorser' machines-the" imprese i J Sion roll: iis driven dirotffrom atl-1oirlotor,

while;othensfhaveothe die Carrying roll driven ydirect fromfthe motor with the yimpression,y

roll as Vfani- 'idle'rV The f guide` device f Off the present invent-ion" f .zofl useful application,

with eitherofethesetypes ofmaehines andalso with other-types. In the presentiembodiment the machine is .off-:theV powervdri-ven type and is loperated ily-means offmotor? Contained in the machine: endormi-leed through any; Suit?- ableorpreferred transmissonzgosrnste part 'rotaryimotiongto `fthe vdrivinzog' orr imprese sion rol-lor .3 :of thomoohfnoi AS wllioxomplo f chine, issuedrebsii .1927:

ofa oheok-endorsor 'machine co1.liu/io.'lot-ion'v withfwhichthe' ormoni-inventions adopted.

tobof used, reference miedo #to myA issued' Batent No.v 15617 ,8T 41,; for-geheele en ateencloerrios Memorable plete or diofboorf -Y lfstho signature@ othorenrntodfndioeto' ybe* impressed upon the check When the latter passes between the impression VAroller 3 and, typey carrying or printing roller TheV rollerB is preferably continuously driven by the motor Vvvhilethe printing roller normally remains stationarybut isactuated by a Check to be thrown intodriving,'V engagement With the roller 3 for'impressing the Vdesired signature or Vother data 0nthecheck When'the vlatter-passes v'between the rolls. -f The ymec'hanism' for effectingthe described intermittent rota-Y tion of the impression roller-'4; forms no part of'thegprese'nt inventionandis Jiully set forth and, dosorbod in my said; Prior 'potenti =A"fee'd roller 4a is driven by the driverollsnol romoroblyfmougotod mennofonfthgo -fromoxof the: maohno' soli @ont thorfpoilit of fdolvoyfof-tho @hook .bo-wtvoon tho dosoribod rolls' o-noleitoeooovo the y Signatur-o to bo :impressed-oei thoohoolo. AS 'illustrated thofopfof'tho .vided ot ono ond with a desta-p: ofoodprotectiye cover platef 6 inv a cute away and dovvn-.turned-pngtionf dor/ef snodi portion .9! Thoohookeudo 5 is designed :to be positioned on thog'vmoohoo botWoo/n'fthoio @relatos @m18 @odin theY lilustretod embodiment-1S lovoblysoou-rod tothooowetuleoolroio i ,oliongo t roeroovor-plfite ,The check u'de; me

messlatte-Sofnloooorbody.rortionimtormh toreo@ ond angulo-ely- .,foposod portion v1L he odiustab1e-eortoos tho @hook 'guido 'consist-of iwofplotoimomb.. kS leod 13,1 Proff era-'bly of sheet metalygvv-hiehiplate .members ooeform member orf late l() of. the guide: Themom fiole "members 11:2-, and i :lo loro' provided sich with'v anl upturned preferablfyriintegial Wing and nroorololy-mtoersl extensions 116i @ed 17 8.123-y f .A olsook PaS/Sins between ,Soldi-rolls iS Y' ,brought ntofoontoot with tho mproseonrolil soyfproforlfeol lll() :there Y outwardly illu strfitedjV in. order to fi'aeilif vtoto'- thio insertion o f "ebooks .orgv othor Slips tions ond. 1.17.! otthofoiiiistebloeeld bers" l2`andA 13. guide channel is thus formed between the portion 11 of the base plate and thei guide strip 18 to 'permit transverse movement of the guide members12 andl 13 or movement of the latter axially with respect to the longitudinal" dimension of the base plate of the check guide; AContact members 21 and 22 are provided, preferably in the form of integral 'lugs struck up from the base plate 1() tov limit the outward sliding movement of the adjustable-niembers 12 and 13 respectively. Y Theupstanding guide flanges 14 andY 15 further 'provide a convenient pmeans, for manual adjustment of the plates 12 and 13 relative" to the b-ase plate 10 and the printing roller.

' For thexpurpose of conveniently and rapidly positioning the check guide on the machine, the base plate 10 Aof the former is provided on its under side adjacent one end with an offset projection or hook 23 suitably riveted or otherwise secured as at 24 to the base plate and designed to engage one edge of the downturned and cut away portion 7 of the cover plate 6 as will be best seen in Fig. 1. The opposite end of the base plate 10 is provided with a locking lever 25 pivotally mounted as at 26 to the plate 10. The free end of the pivoted lever is provided with an operating knob or handle 27 and is bent inwardly upon itself to form a hook shaped portion 25a which may be swung into and out of engagement with the opposite side of the downturned portion 7 of the cover plate 6.

The check guide unit is removably secured to the machine by first engagingthe projection 23 with the portion 7 of the cover plate at one side of the machine and then swinging the latch member 25 into engagement with the lcorresponding portion of the flange 7 at the opposite side of the machine. The downturned portion 11 of the base plate 10 contacts with the cover plate and limits downward vmovement of the check 7`relative to the machine as best seen in Fig. 2. When so positioned the lower or delivery end of the guide, consisting of the lower horizontal edge of the base plate 10, is immediately adjacent the drive or impression roller 3 so that checks placed in the guide ymember will be carried between said guide roller and the feed roller 4a. The desired signature or other indicia is therefore impressed on the check by the printing or type carrying roller 4 as heretofore described and as will be apparent from inspection of amy. aforesaid Patent No'. 1,617,874. The impressed checks are delivered by gravity to a suitable trough or collection receptacle 29 located at the base of the machine on the delivery side of the printing and impression rollers 3 and 4.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the adjustable check guide constituting the Y. invention insures the location of printed im- 4pressions n a predetermined location unformly on each individual check when a batch of checks'are rapidly and successively fed to the machine to be marked uniformly inthe same location. It is also apparent that the guide device is adjustable to effect location of the respective checks or papers with respect to the marking device of the machine so as to register the signature or other indicia in the respective locations desired or required onchecks or papers of various sizes, or in different locations on checks of similar size when desired; and that such adjustment is readily and easily effected for each size of check, and for each different location on similar size checks. This adjustment is effected by a mere sliding movement of either or both of the members 12, 13, predetermined adjustment of the members 12 and 13 on the base plate 10 permitting various sizes of checks to be immediately accommodatedy and accurately positioning each check at a fixed point relative to the printing roller 4. The engagement of the ends of the check with the wings 14 and 15 of the adjustable slide members prevents the check from tiltingfor being canted laterally which would result in the signature being impressed at an angle to the space provided onthecheck for its reception. The provision of the side wings 14 and 15 further insures the printing of the signature uniformly on each check with respect to longitudinal dimension of the space provided for such signature. The members 12 and 13 may be readily positioned towards or away from one anotherby manipulation of the wing members to accommodate checks or other articles of various sizes and as determined by operation conditions. Vhen it is desired to remove, the check guide from the machine it is merely necessary to Vrelease the pivoted latch member 25 from engagement with the cover plate to permit the opposite end of the check guide as an entirety to be released from its engagement with the cover plate.'

. The invention is hereinabove set forth as embodied in a particular form of construction, but may be variously embodied within the scope of theclaims hereinafter made'.

What I claim is:

1. A check guide device for check endorsing machines comprising la metallic plate adapted to be removably secured to the cover of the machine, a pair of guide members having upstanding check-aligning flanges slidably mounted on said plate and adjustable towards and away from each other to accommodate checks of varying sizes rand to position said checks in predetermined alignmentA with respect to the printing rollerv of the machine, vand a pivoted latch member mounted on said plate and movable into engagement with said cover to removably secure the check guide device in position on the machine.V

2. A check guide device for check endors- 

